Under SF 14, as introduced, a court security assistance fund would be created to provide supplemental grants by the existing Court Security Commission for court security equipment and construction of facilities; the bill is explicit the funds not be used to replace funds already disbursed by counties. (Funds are to “supplement existing county funding for purposes related to security of facilities containing a state court and shall not be used to supplant monies previously allocated by the county for such purposes.”)

To qualify, counties would have to apply to the Court Security Commission. Priority would be given the poorer counties, less densely populated counties, and counties that have a court security plan meeting Court Security Commission standards. Each grant would require at least a 50% matching amount from the non-state sources. News reports indicate the fund may get as much as $10 million.